News

Canadian County’s spring youth livestock competition will reach a milestone this week.

The 50th annual Canadian County Junior Livestock Show and Sale will be held Feb. 26 through March 4.

“It’s the golden anniversary,” Canadian County Fair Board Secretary Brad Tipton said.

More than 200 Canadian County youth will exhibit from Yukon, Mustang, El Reno, Union City, Piedmont, Okarche and Calumet.

FFA and 4-H members will show 520 animals during the weeklong livestock show including 94 sheep, 26 goats, 318 swine and 80 cattle.

El Reno residents, both two- and four-legged, took advantage of the warmer temperatures last week to get out of their homes for some park fun. 

Temperatures reached into the 70s over the weekend but was forecasted to dip back below freezing on Wednesday with the possibility of snow and ice.

Judge Paul Hesse said he will seek a second full term as Canadian County district judge.

Hesse was appointed to the bench in 2017 by Gov. Mary Fallin following his nomination by the Judicial Nomination Commission.

He was then elected to his first four-year term in 2018 without opposition.

The filing period for judicial offices is April 13-15.

Hesse shares his duties with Judge Jack McCurdy in hearing civil, criminal, probate and guardianship cases. Hesse is also the presiding judge over the drug, mental health and veterans courts.

Major Adam Flowers of the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office will offer tips on how parents can protect their children from social media dangers on Tuesday, Feb. 22 and again on March 29.

The seminars will be held at the Gary E. Miller Canadian County Children’s Justice Center and will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Flowers said parents should be especially aware of what their child is doing on social media. He said child predators frequent the social media sites.

Flowers said platforms are numerous and change frequently.

Oklahomans who want to change party affiliation must submit their change no later than March 31, said Canadian County Election Board Secretary Wanda Armold.

Voters may change their party affiliation online using the OK Voter Portal at oklahoma.gov/elections/ovp or by completing a new voter registration application.

Armold said no party changes are allowed between April 1 and Aug. 31 during an even-numbered year.

LAWSUITS

Kino Financial Co. LLC vs. Roberta Sage for $13,107.94 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Gay Rice and Steve Rice vs. the Justin E. Vogt Revocable Trust for $20,498.12 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Citibank N.A. vs. Lesley D. Williamson for $18,320.04 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

OneMain Financial Group LLC vs. Marian Columbus for $15,217.19 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Editor’s Note: This is the first article looking at the efforts by El Reno Blessing Baskets Inc. to transform the historic Municipal Swimming Pool Bathhouse into a working headquarters for the organization.

For more than two decades, El Reno Blessings Baskets Inc. has reached out to help those in the community most in need, whether it was with food assistance throughout the year or making sure youngsters have a toy to play with come Christmastime.

A special group of horseback riders will continue to “saddle up” thanks in part to the generosity of a Canadian County women’s philanthropic organization. Power of 100 Canadian County has selected Yukon’s Savannah Station therapeutic riding program as its quarterly Hope Award recipient.

Power of 100 members recently presented a huge gift – totaling $16,565 – to executive director Andi Holland, board chairman Tom Manske and volunteers at Savannah Station, 13420 Frisco Road.

Canadian County will pay off early a $3.5 million loan on the county Expo and Event Center construction project.

Commissioner Dave Anderson will notify BancFirst of the county’s intention to pay in full a series 2019 use tax revenue note that helped fund the new fairgrounds complex that opened in July 2021.

To finance construction of the facility on Jensen Road East, the county secured construction loans from BancFirst for $10 million in 2018 (at a 3.5 percent interest rate) and $3.5 million in 2019 (at a 3.85 percent interest rate).

The city of El Reno received a loan of $7.5 million from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to make improvements to the municipal water system.

The funds will be used to renovate the existing water treatment plant and will include repair of the aerator tower, the installation of a raw water meter at the plant, a new claricone and repair of a recarbonation basin vault.